Thursday, 29 October 2015

The Power of Music: Can Music Reduce Stress?

Music has a unique link to our emotions and can affect our moods. It is proven to be a successful stress management tool.

Listening to different genres of music which we enjoy can have a huge effect on our bodies and minds, for example slow, classical music has a relaxing effect on us, slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure and decreasing stress levels. Music has the ability to grab our attention, distract us and help us explore our emotions.

Everybody has a different musical preference so only you can decide which music you would prefer to suit each mood however, classical music is definitely worth a try when selecting calming music, especially before bed as it is peaceful and will help to induce sleep.

When people are stressed they tend to not listen to music as they feel this is even more aggravating and a waste of time, but when stress is reduced productivity is increased, so it is definitely worth a try.

Try to incorporate music into everyday life whether it is putting a CD on in the car or in the shower, or even listening to the radio whilst you take the dog for a walk. Singing can also be a great release of stress and tension, so give it a try!

Research on music

For hundreds of years, music has been used to treat illness and connect the body and the mind. Scientific studies have tried to measure the potential benefits of music, their results have shown:

·Music can bring order to distressed or disabled children by encouraging their coordination and communication.

·Listening to music on headphones reduces stress and anxiety in hospital patients.

·Listening to music can help depression and self-esteem in elderly people.

·Music reduces emotional distress and helps the quality of life among adult cancer patients.

Meditation

Certain music can be used for meditation to help the mind slow down and relax, however not all music is appropriate and the same music may not work for everyone and music with no structure may irritate some people.

The sound of nature is often used for relaxation for example the sound of water so people can build an image in their heads to reduce stressful thoughts.

Progress Academy offer many different music lessons for those who are wanting to learn to play a musical instrument!